One of the gifts of the Spiritual Exercises is the opportunity to explore various ways of praying. You have already been introduced to the Examen, which Ignatius considered to be primary and essential to the Exercises. As you learn about these prayers, continue practicing them throughout the coming months of the retreat. Over time you may gravitate toward some forms more than others or find ways to adapt them that best work for you. Consider not only the method of the prayers, but especially the intention behind why Ignatius suggested it. You don’t need to try to force every single prayer type you learn into each day’s retreat time. Go with how the Spirit is leading you to pray. The most important thing is meaningful conversation with God through daily prayer.
As you go into the First Week, the following prayer forms are introduced. You will be prompted to try one of these at particular times, so don’t worry about trying them all at once. When you are prompted, simply flip back to this page to revisit the instructions. Remember that anything new can feel awkward at first, so give it time. Once you have been introduced to a prayer form, you can use it anytime you want throughout the Exercises without any prompting.
- Traditional Prayers
Sometimes when we don’t have our own words, praying with fellow pilgrims from throughout the ages can help us know what to say or ask of God. Anima Christi is a traditional prayer that dates to about the 14th century A.D.[1] Ignatius frequently referred to it. The Our Father is also a traditional prayer that comes directly from Scripture.
Anima Christi (Soul of Christ)
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, rescue me.
Blood of Christ, overwhelm me.
Water from the side of Christ, overwhelm me.
Endurance of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Do not let me be separated from you.
From the evil one defend me.
In the hour of my death call me,
and bid me come to you,
that with your saints I may praise you
forever and ever. Amen
Our Father
Our Father in heaven,[2]
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one
- Preparatory Prayer
One format of prayer that Ignatius introduced is designed to prepare your heart for going into each day’s retreat time. It is a warm-up, so to speak. Ignatius wanted us to engage authentically with the Exercises and not fall into mechanical, detached prayer. When we have had a busy day and our mind is on a million other things, the preparatory prayer helps us to become centered and fully present for our retreat with God. Think of it as pausing for a moment before you jump into that day’s devotional time. It has three aspects:
Step 1: Opening Prayer:
Lord, please give me grace so that all my intentions and actions are focused solely on honoring and serving you. (Always the same. Feel free to put the intention of this prayer in your own words.)
Step 2: Readying the Heart
Take a moment to ready your heart for that day’s Scripture reading and reflection. Do this by considering the subject you are about to focus on and bringing your heart into a congruent disposition. For example, if the subject is resurrection, ready your heart for joy. If the subject is sin, seek a posture of mourning and humility.
Step 3: Request
For the purposes of this particular retreat, your handouts have this request written for you at the top of each week. So, for the week on global and historical dimensions of sin, the prayer request is: Savior of all, give me an awareness and sensitivity to the magnitude and severity of sin, as well as heartfelt ability to mourn it. (Feel free to put the intention of this prayer in your own words.)
- Use of the Body in Prayer
Ignatius believed that being fully engaged in the spiritual life meant using not only our mind, but also our body and senses. To facilitate a heartfelt response to God, he wanted us to bring our whole selves. This is similar to what we see in the psalms when the biblical authors describe raising one’s hands, kneeling, walking in procession, or other bodily movements in prayer and worship. One practice Ignatius suggested was to enact in some way a day’s retreat focus. For example, for the days that address sin, he suggested acts of mourning and repentance. You could wear all black, close the curtains/blinds and turn off the lights, clutch your hand across your chest, kneel or prostrate in a humble gesture, or even put dust on your head. The specific type of act is less important than a heartfelt demonstration. You can be creative in how you might bring your body and senses into the intentions of the retreat time.
- Praying and Reading Scripture with the Senses
Often during the Exercises, you might be asked to read a Scripture passage and enter the story with your senses. What do you see, taste, touch, smell, hear? The goal is to make the biblical narrative come alive. Ignatius did not want us to succumb to emotionally detached Scripture reading and prayer, but to go back in time as if Jesus was standing right in front of us. Entering the story with your senses, allows you to hear Jesus talking, feel the dust on your feet, and smell the bustling crowd.
- What details do you notice when using your senses?
- Where do you find yourself in the story?
- What emotions or reactions arise for you?
- What insights surface about God, yourself, and the Christian life?
As you read, talk with God about what you are experiencing. In fact, you can talk with Jesus as if you were there in that 1st century moment. What might you say or ask? Is it different or the same as what the other people in the scene are saying?
- Triple Colloquies
The Triple Colloquies (or three conversations) is a repetition of prayer asking the three persons of the Trinity for help in becoming free from all that entangles.[3] The prayer includes the Anima Christi and the Our Father. Ultimately, a colloquy is a conversation. So, feel free to put these thoughts in your own words. At the end, pause to listen to see if God impresses upon you anything as a result of this prayer:
Holy Spirit, please open my eyes so I can recognize sin clearly. Give me the ability to see and feel the harm caused by it. Fill me with a willingness to change anything that needs to change. Increase my discernment so that I experience a deep aversion to ungodliness and a desire to abandon such things.
Jesus, please open my eyes so I can recognize sin clearly. Give me the ability to see and feel the harm caused by it. Fill me with a willingness to change anything that needs to change. Increase my discernment so that I experience a deep aversion to ungodliness and a desire to abandon such things.
Pray the Anima Christi
Father, please open my eyes so I can recognize sin clearly. Give me the ability to see and feel the harm caused by it. Fill me with a willingness to change anything that needs to change. Increase my discernment so that I experience a deep aversion to ungodliness and a desire to abandon such things.
Close with the Our Father (Matthew 6:9-13)
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[1] Copyright Public Domain. Author unknown.
[2]Taken from the NRSV version.
[3] When it comes to colloquies Ignatius sometimes says to ask Mary to pray on one’s behalf, along with praying to the Son and Father. At other times he suggests praying to the Trinity. To make this retreat accessible to both Catholics and Protestants, I have placed emphasis on the Trinitarian prayer. This is in keeping with Ignatius’s belief that each person of the Godhead is involved in our spiritual formation and redemption.